Assessment of serum amyloid A level and the severity of atopic dermatitis

Background Serum amyloid A (SAA) is an acute-phase protein that activates immune cells and induces cytokines and chemokine. SAA levels in the blood have been reported to be elevated in case of inflammation, infections, neoplasia, and tissue injury. This study measured the SAA in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) and evaluated the association between the severity of AD and their values. Patients and methods A total of 52 patients with AD (22 males and 30 females) were involved in our study. Subjects were characterized as having atopic eczema (eAD; n=25) extrinsic type AD or nonatopic (iAD; n=27) intrinsic AD by serum immunoglobulin E level. Serum soluble IL-2R (IL-2R) and SAA levels were measured. Results The serum SAA levels was detectable in all patients with AD, showing significantly higher levels (P=0.026) in the patients with eAD (207 pg/ml; 95% confidence interval: 172–242 pg/ml) compared with those with iAD (144 pg/ml; 95% confidence interval: 116–178 pg/ml). The serum SAA levels were significantly correlated with eosinophil counts and sIL-2R levels and showed a tendency to correlate with SCORAD index and serum immunoglobulin E levels. Conclusion These results suggest SAA level as a parameter of AD activity and may support its possible role in the pathogenesis of AD.